A Teacher;s Perspective on the End of the School Year

          Hey everyone. I know I've been MIA for the past month, the end of the school year is a crazy time for us teachers. That coupled with my home computer breaking, makes for no time to blog. So here we are, at the end of the school year. I personally love this time of year, not for my summer vacation (which, by the way I do not get since summer school starts Monday for teachers and July 5th for students, making our "summer vacation a 4 day weekend), but because it is a time to sit back and reflect on the past year. This is a time to see how successful you really are as a teacher, and a time to look back and see where you need to improve for next year. During the last couple of weeks of the school year, I love to look back on where my students were in Spetember and where they are now. It is especially rewarding when I look at the students whom other teachers "warned" me about and see how far they have come. out of my 6 students, 3 were unable to read in September. Today one is reading around 30 words, while the other two are reading close to 100 words, and some stories. I have 5 students doing simple addition and one who could not speak back in September, who is verbally requesting "pee-pee" pretzels, juice, candy, chips, and more. My students who didn't acknowledge one another in September are now playing together, initiating socialization and even asking each other for things. My favorite part of the end of the year in my school is taking part in so many fun activities and watching my students just be kids. It is there that some of their real progress really comes out. For a lot of my students, the biggest issue is learning how to socialize appropriately. These activities are great ways for us teachers to see how much our students have come in that aspect of their lives, During the year, we are constantly assessing their academic progress, but very rarely, is the focus ever on strict social skills. My heart melted the day of my class's carnival. We had extra popcorn, and M was sitting with the entire bowl in front of him. (M, an only child has been learning this year that he needs to share.) E was on the computer as we were getting ready to go home and turns around and says "Popcorn please." M turns around and gives E a few pieces of popcorn and E goes back to the computer. A few seconds later, E asks again for popcorn, and the cycle goes on for about five minutes, E asking and M giving him about 3 pieces of popcorn each time. E had the biggest smile on his face each time M would turn around to give him popcorn. The first couple of times I saw this interaction, I was tempted to step in and give E a napkin full of popcorn, since M was only giving up 3 pieces at a time, but seeing how much the two of them enjoyed the exchange I stayed out of it and just enjoyed the progress both boys have shown. M, in the beginning of the year never liked to share anything he considered to be his, this included classroom toys and items that he especially liked. He would hide his favorite books and toys throughout the room so that no one else would get them before him and so he would be the only one who knew where they were. When we would make him share, even if it was just taking a small piece of the putty he liked to give to another student, he would flip out. We worked really hard to teach him that the things in school are not his and that he needs to share with his friends, but as all things go, some days were much harder than others, and even the easy days required a reminder to share. E always looked to interact with his classmates, but had a hard time focusing long enough to engage anyone. He required prompting to initiate the interaction, and even more so to keep it going. By May he would sit at the kidney table and say hi to various classmates, and a few of them would respond back and he would get so excited. To see that E independently asked for the popcorn from M and M independently shared with him, was a huge step for the two of them. That little moment made all of the fighting and tantrums from M, and all of the pushing of E to keep going and chasing his friends so worth it. Even though we go right back into the swing of things July 5th, it feels good to cap off the year celebrating my students' accomplishments, and planning for next years activities. I am fortunate enough to be keeping 4 of my same students next September, so I have a pretty good idea of where I want to go with them, it is good to reflect on where they are now as opposed to where they were in September, and now for 4 of them I am finalizing my plans on where I want them to be this time next year. This year has been full of pleasant surprises from my students, from J starting to speak, to Mo spontaneously spelling out words, to C going from having a tough time progressing in his ABA programs to speeding through his reading, adding, and personal info, I couldn't be any happier with how far we have all come. I have learned so much from my students this year and can only hope that they have learned half as much from me as I have from them. I am looking forward to my final hurrah with my superstars this summer, and will miss my other two who are moving on to different classrooms dearly, but I will never stop advocating for them and making sure their new teachers know how amazing they really are, despite what other teachers may say.

Jillian, a student from my school singing "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele at our spring show. Moments like this is just one of yhe millions of reasons I absolutely love my job!

Everybody Can Learn

          Not too long ago, I was sitting at lunch with some of my colleagues talking about our students and prospective classes for next year. The conversation turned to our Quality Review earlier in the year and the new demands that the "higher ups" are beginning to place on our students that resulted from it. We were discussing the relevance of these demands and protocols when one teacher, who quite frankly, no longer belongs teaching, if she ever did to begin with, starts saying how there are some children who just can't learn and that protocols such as rubrics and post-it notes attached to student work, are completely pointless and irrelevant to them. While I do agree that some of these protocols are not appropriate for some of our children especially at their cognitive levels, I was appalled that anyone, let alone a teacher would ever say that a child can not learn. Some children have behaviors that make it more difficult to learn, and others have cognitive deficiencies that may limit how far they may go, but EVERYBODY can learn. Anyone who thinks different does not belong working with children, let alone TEACHING them! In what world do you believe in training animals, but believe that a child, no matter how severely disabled, cannot learn? I have worked with children of various abilities and cognitive levels and although it took longer for some than others, every student that I have worked with has learned and progressed. This doesn't make me a phenomenal teacher, it just means that I have faith in my students and encourage them to keep trying their best, by celebrating the small victories in their progress, and showing them how to take pride in themselves and their work. Kids can sense whether or not a person likes them and whether or not a person believes in them. If you didn't have your parents pushing you and supporting you, would you have tried as hard as you did, or become the person you are today? If kids can tell that you don't expect anything from them they aren't going to go out of their way to prove you wrong, they're going to live down to your expectations. In a lot of ways it can seem to make their lives easier. Why ask for something and then wait for you to be ready to give it to them, when they can just throw a tantrum and get it right away? Why  deal with buttons and zippers when you can stand there and have someone else dress you? The worst thing anyone can do to a child is to underestimate him. If you take nothing else away from my posts, make sure you always believe in your children, and every child with whom you will work. Know that he can learn and will as long as you remain patient with him, and push him.

The Extraordinary is Inside......Waiting

          I had a professor in college who had a poster on his office door that said "The Extraordinary is Inside...Waiting."  He would oftentimes incorporate this quote into his lectures, and even had it put on the t-shirts for our education honor society.  He used this quote to motivate us to work hard and search to find the extraordinary within ourselves.


          As a teacher, I use this quote to remind myself that all of my students, regardless of their behavior issues or cognitive abilities, are extraordinary in their own way. When I look at my students I see them for their strengths, not their weaknesses. When I first looked at my class roster last June, I saw bright, mostly verbal kids with a lot of personality and potential. I saw all the activities I could do with them, and was excited to start the new year. Others, I had found out later looked at my class and saw their negative behaviors; anxious, crying, tantrums,  stubborn etc. I honestly believe that one major reason my students' behaviors didn't take over my class, was because my staff and I truly cared for our students and focused on their strengths and positive traits rather than their negative ones. Whenever a negative behavior started to arise, we would nip it in the bud, and continue about our day. We only focused on the positive behaviors, and gave our students opportunities to succeed instead of fail.


        I firmly believe that children live down to expectations as much as they live up to them. Children are very intuitive and can sense when they are liked and disliked by adults. If a child can already tell that an adult doesn't like him before the school year even starts, what motivation does he have to do his best and work hard? When he knows that he is only expected to cause trouble and act out, then why even try and behave? It is our duty as teachers to see the extraordinary in all of our students and bring it out for the world to see. If we don't then who will?

Ten Things Your Child's Special Education Teacher Wishes You Knew pt. 2

          Last week, I posted the first five things, us teachers would like for parents to know. Here are the next 5:


6. Each child is different. I've had parents that ask about all kinds services, diets etc. for their child because they had heard about another family using it and it doing wonders for that child. While we are thrilled that you are taking the initiative and researching therapies and methods that may help your child, know this; each child is different. What works for one child may not necessarily work for yours. 
          I teach children with Autism. Every child in my class is diagnosed with Autism, however, their strengths, weaknesses and needs vary greatly. And that's just within my small class, where they are all on somewhat similar academic levels. My school services children from pretty severely low functioning students to students in inclusion and very close to, if not on grade level. Just because another child may have the same diagnosis as yours, doesn't mean that they both need the same things, or thrive in the same programs. Some children need to be coddled a bit more and coaxed into following directions, etc. while others need a more firm, tough love approach. Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying that we will hug, nurture, and spoil one child, while we punish and yell at yours, I am just saying that there are some children who struggle with understanding boundaries, so we need to set up more rigid ones.
          Just like in general education, every child learns differently. It is our job to find out how your child best learns and adopt that approach when working with him. Some kids need constant reinforcement throughout their tasks, while others can complete multiple tasks and then receive one reinforcer at the end. Please don't see this as we like one child better so we are rewarding them more often. It is actually better if your child receives fewer reinforcements, because it means that he is much more independent and has the focus and ability to remain on task and complete his work without someone standing over him. The main goal is to wean these children off reinforcers altogether and have them able to complete a task simply because they were asked to. You never want your child to become dependent on anything, you want him to be as independent as possible.
          
7. It's ok to feel frustrated. We know that you love your child more than anything and that all you want is what is best for him. With that said, we also know that all children, even (and sometimes especially) those with special needs can drive you crazy. There is nothing wrong with feeling frustrated or with admitting that especially to us. I absolutely love my students as if they were my own children, but there are days when one, or all of them really try my patience and drive me crazy. I'm only with them 35 hours out of the week, where your child is with you for the remaining 133, he is absolutely going to get on your nerves eventually.  In times like these, just take a step back, breathe, and really look at the situation. See if you can find a compromise where he is  quiet and happy without you giving into everything he wants.
          If/when you come to the point when you are at your wits end and are really at a loss for what to do, or even before you get to that point come and talk to us. We can help you set up some behavior plans, or token reward systems or routine to help ease your frustrations and make your child's and your lives easier. Never be ashamed to admit that you are frustrated, because if you try to say for one minute that your child has never driven you at least a little crazy, you either never spend time with him, or you are absolutely kidding yourself.


8. Sometimes you have to let him tantrum. I know this sounds really mean, not to mention really trying on your patience, but there are times when you have to let your child tantrum. Children learn very quickly what they need to do in order to get what they want. Their first instinct is naturally to cry for it. In all fairness, it worked when they were infants, and were hungry, needed to be changed or simply wanted to be held, so why not try it when they want a snack or a toy when you are out shopping. It was obviously acceptable for an infant to cry because he has no other way of communicating, however now that your child is older, it is no longer acceptable to scream and cry when he wants something. Even if he is nonverbal there are other ways to request what he wants, even if it is simply pointing to it. 
          Children who throw tantrums do so because they have learned that it is the most effective way to get what they want. If I knew that I could get $100 just from screaming and crying and throwing a fit every so often, then I would be kicking and screaming right now, but I can't so I had to learn other ways to get what I want. I understand that when you come home from a long tiring day at work, the last thing you want to do is listen to your child screaming and crying, and possibly throwing things all over the place, but that is what you need to do if you ever want those behaviors to go away. I won't lie to you, the tantrums will get much much worse initially, but as long as you stand your ground and don't give in, they will eventually go away. Trust me, he will try to break you. He will scream louder and longer, make a scene (especially if you are in public), and most likely kick swing and throw things. You have to stand your ground and let him tire himself out. If you give in, he will only learn that if he keeps it up, he will eventually get what he wants. It will be extremely frustrating and possibly embarrassing, but you must stick to your guns on this and let him ride it out so that he will learn that tantruming gets you nothing, and the only way to get what you want is to ask appropriately and wait nicely.


9. Think realistically. All parents have huge dreams for their children. Those dreams don't need to be crushed when you have a child with special needs, they just need to be adjusted. If your child is severely Autistic, he will probably not become a heart surgeon. Instead on dwelling on what he will probably never do, focus on what his strengths are and really relish the little victories. When one of my students learned his phone number, and called home; or independently wrote his first letter, we celebrated as if he had won the Nobel Prize. Little accomplishments are huge victories in the field of special education. Focus on the positives and the victories and you will see that although, your dreams and goals for your child may have changed, it can be just as rewarding when they do come true.
          So you've made peace with the fact that your child may not go to Harvard. Now we need to focus on understanding and coming to terms with where you're child really is cognitively. I've had a parent ask me to put multiplication on her son's IEP, when her son was still struggling with double digit addition without carrying. This same parent has told me that she was hoping that one day her son would wake up and just no longer be Autistic. Many of you have heard testimonies of children who have gone on the Gluten and Casein free diets and were miraculously cured of Autism. I don't believe this for one minute. I do believe that some children are sensitive to gluten and casein, so by eliminating it from their diets, some of their behaviors have decreased, since it is no longer making them feel sick. There is no cure for Autism, and to this day the best treatment for it is Early Intervention. The sooner you come to terms with that the better you will be able to truly be an effective advocate for your child. If your child can not yet count, do not demand that they be learning addition. We need to move at the pace of the child so that he can reach his full potential.


10. Never stop fighting for your child. You are your child's greatest advocate. Unfortunately, many parents do not know what rights they or their child have when it comes to receiving services or aids in the home, and many parents aren't told what kind of help they can receive unless they are proactive and ask. The best way to learn is by asking. If you know that your child is capable of more than he is currently doing, then talk to us and voice your concerns. If you feel like you are getting shafted be louder. If the school gives you reasonable reasons as to why they do not think what you are asking for is appropriate then listen and talk it out in a civil manner, however, if they really do not seem like they are looking out for your child's best interest then get your case worker involved, or speak to other parents for advice and support. Most schools have a PTA or Parent Coordinator to inform parents of their rights and options. 
          The most important thing to keep in mind however, is to make sure you maintain a friendly relationship with your child's school. If you come in fighting people will be less willing to help you. If you come in respectful, and politely pursue what you want for your child, people will be more likely to listen to you and to really fight for you. 
          The parent I had spoken about earlier, who had mentioned that she had hoped that her child would wake up one day and no longer be Autistic, although was slightly delusional in that thought process, was not too far off to hope that. I had this student when he was 8 years old. She told me at this same IEP meeting that when he was first diagnosed, his doctors said he would never speak or progress very far at all. Here he is, years later, verbal, reading, writing, adding, and moving from a 6:1:1 to an 8:1:1. If his mother had taken what the doctors said to heart, and stopped fighting for him, I highly doubt he would have come so far.
       Work with your school, and trust in their sincere advice, but the minute you feel your child can do more, fight for it.




          I hope this list will help you when you are working and conversing with your child's teachers and school. Always remember that there will be ups and downs along the road, but the tougher the obstacle, the greater the victory. Throughout this journey always keep in mind that we are all working toward the same goal, and that is providing your child with the skills to succeed in life and independently as possible.

Ten Things Your Child's Special Education Teacher Wishes You Knew part 1

          Back in college, I read two books entitled "Ten Things Your Child with Autism Wishes You Knew" and "Ten Things Your Student with Autism Wishes You Knew" I found both books to be very informative.
        
          I have been teaching now for 2 1/2 years and I have heard stories about and experienced parents demanding some outrageous things for their child. They do so, thinking that these extra services or ways of handling tantrums etc. is what the child needs, when in actuality, these demands, at times, end up doing more harm than good.


          With that said; I have devised my own list from the teacher's perspective. Some of these items are very similar, but I felt they were important to reiterate. Since the explanations make this post rather long, I've decided to break it up in into two posts Here are the first five:

Ten Things Your Child's Special Education Teacher Wishes You Knew

1. We are on your team. 

          Our job is to work with your child and to teach your child the skills he/she needs to know to have a fuller, more independent life. Just like you, our main goal is to do what is best for your child. There may be times when we disagree on things, such as academic goals, amount of services or behavior interventions; but we are not looking to go up against you. Keep an open mind when we voice our concerns and opinions, they come from a genuine place. If you still don't fully agree with us, we can work out a compromise, but only push that after you listen to our reasons.

2. More is not always better.

          I've had parents request bus paras, 1:1s and more intensive services for their child who does not need these supports. I understand that these parents think that their child having all of this individualized attention and intensive therapies each year, will help their child progress faster and farther, but that is not always true. As your child gets older, you want the services to decrease, otherwise your child will become dependent on other people instead of learning to rely on himself. 

          It is also important to have fewer services in middle school and high school, if you are hoping to have your child in a group home when they reach adulthood. Group homes can be great for people with special needs to live as independently as they can, while still having the supports they may need. I worked for an organization where they had a group home that was an apartment building. Each individual had their own apartment and was very independent. They cooked for themselves, walked or took the bus to and from their jobs on their own, and took care of themselves almost completely independently. There was staff on site to ensure safety and supervise the tenants. The staff ran fire drills and aided tenants when they needed it. Good group homes have only so much space, and do not like to take individuals who still require 1:1 support or other intensive therapies. Not only is it expensive, but these homes try to foster independence and that is almost impossible to do if a 20 year old is still receiving Speech, OT or PT 5 times a week. 

          Even if you never considered placing your child in a group home, you need to think long term. You want your child to be as independent as possible so they can take care of themselves when they get older. What happens when your child outlives you? Especially if he is an only child? The more dependent he is on others, the harder it will be to find someone who is able/willing to look after him. 

          I teach in an elementary school, so my students' parents aren't thinking very far ahead yet, but you need to. We will never cut or decrease a service that your child absolutely needs. Although it may not seem like it, it is a good thing when a service gets cut. It means your child has progressed so far that he no longer needs that extra support.

3.  We want you to ask us for help.

          We are not here to judge you. We understand that you may not know everything there is to know about raising a child with special needs. Most of my students' parents have never heard the word Autism until their child was diagnosed with it. We want you to educate yourself to help both you and your child, and at times that can mean asking us questions. We went to school for this we took multiple courses and had to pass multiple tests (at least in NY) in order to be certified; there is a good chance we will have an answer for you. On the off chance we don't, we will give you a name, number or website to go to that will provide you with an answer.
          We are thrilled to have parents ask us questions because that means that you are taking an active role in your child's learning, doing all you can to help your child succeed. I personally look forward to parent teacher conferences so I can get a chance to meet with my students' parents, talk about what's going on in school and hear about how they are at home. I encourage parents to come in and talk, write to me in the notebook or call me if they have any questions or need anything, such as Mayer Johnson pictures, social stories etc. We want you to feel comfortable opening up to us about any issues you may be having at home so we can offer some advice to you and even, if possible, work on it in school as well.


4. We need to work together to ensure consistency.
          All children, especially those with special needs thrive with consistency. If you punish your child one day for not cleaning his room, but then the next day, let him go out to a party with the room still not cleaned, he's going to learn that he doesn't need to listen to you when you tell him to do something, he just needs to catch you at the right time to get what he wants. One thing all children figure out early on, special needs or not, is how to get what they want. If you tell your child that after he cleans up his toys he can have a snack, and you stick to that everyday no matter how much of a fit he throws, he will learn that no matter what he does he won't get his snack until he cleans up his toys. Now it becomes part of his routine. He now knows that after he's finished playing and he wants a snack, he first needs to clean up his toys and then he will get it. This is where parent-teacher communication is very important. We need to work together especially on problem behaviors to teach your child what is expected of him both in school and at home. We can work on behavior plans and token reward systems to implement at home and in school to help resolve certain issues. 


5. We genuinely care about your child.
          No matter how many behaviors your child may have, or how cognitively "low" he may be, we honestly and genuinely care for him and want to see him succeed as best he can. Anything we suggest for him, whether it be a change in services, a doctor visit or even medication, we are doing so with the sincere belief that it will benefit your child. I, personally am not sure where I stand on the whole medication debate, however, I've seen medication do wonders for some children. I've also seen it turn kids into drones, so I'm not saying for every parent to go out and drug your child, but if I ever suggest for a parent to take their child to a neurologist and inquire about medication, it is because I sincerely believe it may help him. I will not make any suggestions to make yours or my lives easier if it is not beneficial to my student, because quite honestly, the thing that will make everyone's lives easier in the end is by working diligently with your child and doing what is best for him. When he is happy, healthy and reaching his full potential, then and only then have I done my job.

Seeing Past the Autism to the True Person Inside

          I am just about finished reading Carly's Voice. A story about a girl in Toronto who suffers from severe Autism. When you look at Carly, the first thing most people notice is all of her Autistic behaviors. It is not until you take some time  to get to know her that you see her intelligence, sense of humor, and all around great personality. For those of you who have not heard of Carly Fleichmann, she is a now 16 year old girl who is nonverbal, and displays many behaviors that go along with being severely Autistic, such as flapping, rocking, bleating, etc. Carly had been working intensely with therapists since her initial diagnosis, but her inability to communicate prevented her from showing her true abilities. At the age of 12, while working with her therapists, she typed out "HELPTEETHHURT". From then on Carly has not only introduced her family to her true self, but also educated the world about what it really means to be Autistic, and has given a voice to so many people who are not able to use their own. Reading this book has really opened my eyes to what it is really like to have Autism. It has made me that much more sensitive to my students and what they are going through. I have always known that people with Autism have sensory issues, but the way Carly described what was going on with her body,  how her legs feel like they are on fire, and her arms feel like they are crawling with ants, and the only way to relieve those sensations is to bang her body on the table or walls. Carly has written about how frustrating and hurtful is was to be scolded for banging or yelling, when she couldn't help herself or she was doing those things to prevent her body from doing something even more destructive. The way Carly explained how people with Autism filter sounds, and process visuals, shows us that even when they seem like they are in a completely different world, they are still aware of everything that is going on around them. Many people tend to think that people with Autism, especially those who are nonverbal, are not intelligent and do not comprehend the world around them. This is a gross misjudgment and an insult to these people. I have worked with people of many different disabilities and varying degrees of these disabilities, and I treat them all like what they are-people. I talk to them like I would anyone else their age. I have more patience and appreciate that some may need a little more time to process what I am saying, but just because they are in diapers, or cannot speak does not mean they cannot comprehend typical conversation. What is even more disgusting to me is that there are people who claim to be experts that are calling Carly a fraud. They don't believe that it could ever be possible that someone with Autism as severe as hers can have such intelligence and candor. I believe these "experts" should be stripped of their titles and degrees. Especially these so-called "education experts". As an educator you should be steadfast in your belief that everyone can learn and be relentless in your efforts to find ways to teach those who have a hard time excelling with conventional teaching methods. It is not up to us to decide that a student has reached their learning potential, and can no longer learn. It is our DUTY to keep pushing our students to succeed despite the odds and others' low expectations of them.  Why is it so hard for people to believe that people with Autism can be intelligent, well spoken people? Having Autism, means your brain is just wired differently, not defective. In actuality, having Autism gives these people abilities us "neurotypicals" don't have. People with Autism perceive the world differently  than neurotypicals, and in that way they can have a great impact, and can solve problems that we have never been able to solve. When everyone looks at a problem and attacks it from the same viewpoint and perspective, no real solution will ever discovered. Now comes a person who has a different outlook on things. This person is more sensitive to sounds, textures and visuals, and because of this approaches the problem for a different direction, and finds a solution. We need to embrace these differences and do what we can to help those we know who have Autism to overcome their sensory issues and open up and reveal their true selves; their whole person. The old adage, "You can't judge a book by its cover" has never been so appropriate as it is when working with people with Autism, or any other special needs diagnosis.

Celebrating Everyday

          I had an Education professor in college, who used to begin every class asking "What are we celebrating today?" His reasoning was quite simple, whenever you turn on the news or pick up a paper, all you read about is tragedy and scandal, you rarely read/hear any good news. With all the negativity swirling throughout the media, we need to take time out of our daily lives and find something, anything to celebrate. In the beginning of the semester, there was usually a small period of awkward silence, followed by people mentioning family members' birthdays and anniversaries, but the sharing pretty much ended there. As the semester went on, people were more excited to share, and classmates began celebrating one another, and my professor would have to ask some of us to save our celebrations for the next class. I have learned many things in that class, but the one thing that stuck with me the most was celebrating everyday. This idea of celebrating the little things in life, has really helped to prepare me for my career of teaching children with Autism. Working with the students that I have, I have learned to embrace the little victories and celebrate them as if my student won the Nobel Prize.  Last year, I had a student, whom I affectionately nicknamed monster. Monster had just turned 5 in August, he was extremely active, always trying to run, and loved to play in water. He required a sensory diet, in which he would go to the PT/OT room twice a day to jump on the trampoline, climb the stairs, etc in order to help him release his excess energy so he would no longer try and run out of the room, as well as address his sensory needs, so he would stop biting us. When school first started, he could not complete a 3 piece in-set puzzle (he preferred eating them), or even sit for two minutes to complete a task. By his IEP meeting in March, he was completing multiple tasks in one sitting, and was able to complete a 12 piece in-set puzzle (he also drastically cut down on putting non-edibles in his mouth). When his mother came in to my room for the meeting she saw him sitting down doing a puzzle and she was astounded. She could not believe he was sitting, let alone actually doing a puzzle. If a stranger had walked into my room in March, and saw my monster working, they would just assume that he was low, however, if they had seen where he was back in September, and how far he had progressed since then, they would appreciate all he had done. It is vital when working with children with special needs not to grieve over what they can't or probably won't do, but to celebrate their potential as well as what they can do and how far they have come. Obsessing over what a child cannot do, is not helping them in any way, shape or form. Instead we need to find their strengths and use them to help our students reach their full potential. Celebrate the little things in life, and your life will be much fuller.

          I am currently reading Push Has Come to Shove by Dr. Steve Perry. Early on in his book, he tells a story about a student he had while teaching in Strawberry Mansion High School in Philadelphia. This student during a discussion blurted out "How could these teachers teach us when they don't even like us?" Reading this really hit me.We must genuinely care for our students if we want them to reach their potential. Everyone knows the time at the end of the year, when you get your class roster for the following September. The first thing we all do is read the list, see who we know and find out about the students we don't know. This is a time when you can really tell how much a teacher cares about his/her students as well as the passion he/she has about the job. Since, I teach in a school for children with Autism, when a teacher is asked about another student, he/she will talk about any behavior issues the student has, but usually follows up with how to address it. However, what really tells which teachers are there for the right reasons, is when you ask him/her about a "difficult" child, he/she has something positive to say about that student. I was told by my Assistant Principal, that when they put my class roster together, they thought I was going to have a rough class. The behaviors that my guys were known for having added up to a tough year for me. When I first saw my list, I was ecstatic. I knew 3 of my 6 students and knew of 2 more, and was very excited to have them in my class. I was not aware of the "behaviors" that the administration had apparently seen in them. I wasn't aware of my "difficult class" until my AP had told me halfway through the year. It wasn't until I sat down and thought about some issues some of my students had that had the potential to cause a difficult class. The reason I never saw this before, was because a lot of the potential behaviors never came out, and whenever a behavior did happen, we dealt with it and moved on, we don't dwell on the negatives, we focus on the positive. I think the chemistry my paras and I have is a huge factor in the success in our room. We all love what we do and we all genuinely love our kids, even when we are at our wits end with one of them. I think my students can sense that, and because they know we truly care, they feel comfortable enough to relax and let their true selves show. Once that happens, then optimal learning can really occur. My paras and I have made a point to know our kids, what they like, don't like and how they learn best in order to really connect with them. I have one student who loves to sing, especially Lion King songs. Him and I sing together just about everyday, usually alternating between "I Just Can't Wait to be King"(he sings Simba's part and I am Zazu) and Hakuna Matata" (He's Timon and I'm Pumbaa). In October our school held a talent show. I told the music teachers that I wanted him to sing in it, and they were surprised but they agreed. Time came for the talent show and he got up on stage (with me right next to him) and stole the show with "I Just Can't Wait to be King." His past teachers and paras as well as the music teachers were blown away by his performance and came up to me after the show saying how they were so impressed by him and never would have thought he would ever do something like that. My reaction (in my head) was "are you serious?" This little boy loves attention and all he does is sing. The first thing I thought when I first got to know him was he needs to be a soloist in our unit's show (which he will be in May). Every child we will ever come across as teachers, has a special talent, an area where he/she really thrives. It is our job to find that talen, bring it to the forefront, and use it to help that child reach his/her full potential. That way when your students' next year teachers come up and ask you about them, you will have positive things to say.

Spreading Autism Awareness and Celebrating its Impact

         I was going through my Twitter feed today, and realized something. Other than the Autism accounts I follow, there seems to be absolutely no talk of Autism whatsoever. This oversight is not only on Twitter, no other media outlet has done anything to spread awareness. I found this disheartening especially with April being Autism Awareness Month. All throughout Black, Hispanic and even Women's History Months, there have been T.V. and radio commercials celebrating the accomplishments achieved by their respective people. There is no shortage of people on the spectrum who have accomplished very impressive things, and who have had progressive and profound impacts within their respective fields. Why isn't anyone celebrating their accomplishments? Although, Autism has only been discovered and defined relatively recently, it has been around for Centuries with so many influential people who are now believed to have been on the spectrum, going through their lives undiagnosed. Not only can those "The More You Know" spots be used to highlight these achievements, as well as educate people on the recent scientific breakthroughs, the importance of early intervention, the early signs of Autism etc. Even if these PSAs only run throughout the month of April, it will do so much to educate people on Autism as well as debunk some popular myths about Autism. The media has so much power to reach mass amounts of people fairly easily, it should be their duty to use that power to educate the masses about important issues. With the new statistics having just been released, stating that 1 in 88 children have Autism, it is vital that the we urge the media to take advantage of the power of the media to educate the world.

Autism Acceptance and Pride

          Hello all! I know I've been MIA this past week, I was away. I was upset for being gone so long, especially during Autism Awareness Month, since I do have a lot to talk about on the subject, but I know that I'm not only going to speak about Autism during the month of April. As an educator of children with Autism, I think it is extremely important to use this month to spread awareness and educate others about the realities of Autism. That being said, I went to my principal last week suggesting that we do something this month to raise awareness within our school's community. Not only is our school the biggest school for children with Autism, it is made up of "units" placed within general education community schools. I thought it would be nice to educate the gen ed students as well as the community on what Autism is. I proposed we held a walk along with a show to celebrate and showcase our students talents. I wanted to show the gen ed students as well as the community that just because our students have Autism, doesn't mean that they don't have anything to offer to society. My principal seemed to really like my idea, and said that she would speak to the APs of each unit and try and set something up. She asked me to come back and talk to her on Monday. On Monday, I went to see my principal again, and her excitement seemed to have faded a bit. She said that she had spoken to the APs and they had reservations about publicizing the fact that our children have Autism. She said that a lot of our students, especially the ones in inclusion are not aware that they have Autism, and she's not sure that we should make a big deal to tell them. Instead she suggested that I put together a brochure about the facts of Autism to hand out to the gen ed students. I was pretty upset. March was Respect for All Month, and students were taught to celebrate their differences. What better way to follow up that theme than by teaching about Autism, and celebrating the gifts that can come along with it? I understand that people who aren't affected by Autism don't always know anything about it, and most people tend to think of those who are lower functioning especially cognitively. The APs and inclusion teachers were concerned that by telling their students that they have Autism, they will upset and confuse them and ostracize them from their gen ed classmates. While I do understand their reservations, I think it is important that these students know that they have Autism, and take pride in it. As with any disorder, Autism can provide those who are affected with many frustrations. I think by letting them know that they are different thatn their peers can help them understand their issues a little better. It is also important to teach their classmates who are not Autistic, about what it is like being Autistic, so when a behavior arises, or he/she stims or has a sensory issue, they will understand it better. Schools spend so much time celebrating children of different cultures and races, why not focus on abilities? These gen ed students share a school building with my students and that's about where the interaction ends, not including the inclusion students. They have the unique opportunity to learn about, with, and from students with Autism, and yet, we hide the true identity of our students from them. By doing so, we are doing a disservice to everyone involved. It was an inclusion student, a student with Autism who won the last school wide spelling bee against gen ed students. By teaching our inclusion students, and all of our students to take pride in everything that they are, Autism included, and by teaching the gen ed students about Autism  we can unite our two schools that share a building, and allow all students to take pride in themselves "shortcomings" and all.

Autism Awareness Month

Hello all! Happy Autism Awareness Month! I believe that it is extremely important for people to raise awareness about Autism, this and every month throughout the year, especially now that Autism is becoming more and more prevalent. When people think about Autism, they tend think of "low functioning" children with tantrums, behavior issues, sensory issues, and all the negatives and heart breaks that are associated with this disorder. What people fail to see is the positive aspects of Autism and the blessings children with Autism can bring to the world. It is true that families affected by Autism have many obstacles to overcome in life, it is also true, that these same families share in many positive experiences in life as well. Whether it is learning to appreciate the small victories in life, or having a child with Savant abilities, there are so many gifts that come along with Autism. People with Autism see, and experience the world differently than us "neurotypicals". This is not necessarily a bad thing, however. My favorite example to support this statement is Temple Grandin. Temple Grandin completely changed the way the livestock industry treated and viewed their cattle. It was because of her Autism that she was able to design more humane livestock facilities. Because of the sensory issues she dealt with due to her Autism, she was able to relate to the fear and anxiety the livestock felt as they were walking to their slaughter. To minimize the anxiety, she designed facilities that help calm the animals. Like everyone in this world, people with Autism have so much to offer to society, we just need to take the time to discover their talents. Many people on the spectrum thrive in various artistic and mathematical venues. People with Autism see the world differently, and process things in a way we could never imagine. Some of history's greatest minds, such as Albert Einstein Thomas Edison, Beethoven and Abraham Lincoln are believed to have been on the spectrum. Here is a list of famous novelists, inventors visionaries, etc. believed to be on the spectrum http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/article_2086.shtml We need to embrace the gifts that come along with Autism, and not look at it as a curse. Embrace the Amazing!

LREs

          My school underwent a Quality Review earlier this year. A quality review is when people from the district come into a school for 3 days and grade us based on what they see. These reviewers are not always the same from year to year. As I mentioned in my first post, I teach in a school for children with Autism; however, the quality reviewers do not necessarily have experience or any special type of knowledge on working with children with special needs, never mind run one. One reviewer was a principal of a District 75 school (District 75 is the special ed district in NYC), but her school was not for children with Autism. This year, the reviewers graded our school using general education guidelines. Up until this year, each year my school underwent Quality Review, we were given the grade of "Well Developed" which is equivalent to an A. This year, we received "Proficient" which is equivalent to a C. Needless to say our principal was not thrilled. Then we got the detailed report. According to the report, our 8:1:1s and 12:1:1 were not "academically rigorous" enough. For those of you who are not familiar with how special education classes are broken down, let me explain it to you. In our school classes are made up of 6:1:1s (6 students to one teacher and one paraprofessional), 8:1:1 (8 students...) 12:1:1 and Inclusion, in which students attend general education classes and are pulled out for services and special help. According to the Free and Appropriate Public Education Act, every child has the right to a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment (LRE). This means that students, including students with special are to be placed in as close to a "regular" classroom setting that they can effectively learn in that suits their needs. In a school like mine, that is supposed to mean that if our students can learn in a larger group size, they should be placed in an 8:1:1 or a 12:1:1, no matter where they are academically. These reviewers mistakenly believed that since these students were in a larger class, they should be "higher" academically than some of them actually are. One of the most deceiving characteristics of children with Autism is their "echolalic" ability. These children can be very verbal and come off as rather social, but be completely lacking in academic skills. Just because these students can come up and converse with you on a seemingly grade appropriate level, does not mean that they are doing academics on that same level. I have worked with children who are very street smart, and can talk a pretty good game, but do not know their letters, colors and even their own age and birthday. The only reason our 6:1:1 classes were not scrutinized is because the classes they saw had children who were nonverbal and more clearly low functioning. All of our children learn at their own speed and level. I teach a 6:1:1 class, and some of my students have exchanges that sound like very appropriate social interactions, but when you look closely, you will see that a lot of the phrases are things they heard on TV or in conversations other people around them have. Last year, I had a student (M) taken out of my class because he was considered "too high" compared to the rest of my students and needed to be placed in a higher class. In actuality, however, he wasn't even the highest student in my class. He just seemed higher from the outside looking in because he is vocal, but the student who was actually the highest (E) was at least a grade level above him, if not two. E could read, count, and answer questions, while M couldn't read and would only repeat the questions he was asked. The reason E didn't seem as high as M to outsiders, was because if you watch both M and E during their free time, M would play and seek out the attention of his teachers, while E would sit and stim. E, up until this year, rarely sought the attention of others, and would sometimes require prompting and redirection to get him to acknowledge you. I, myself didn't even realize quite how high E actually is, until this year. I was fortunate to have him in my class again, this time in a "high 6:1:1" so he was surrounded with classmates more along his academic level, (M is in my class this year as well) and he is still the highest student in my class. As my class stands right now, 5 of my students can read, write and are currently working on adding. 5 of my 6 are within 2 grade levels of their current ages, (the 6th is a little hard to decipher at the moment, as he tries his hardest to act like he doesn't know nearly as much as he does), and don't display any serious behaviors that would prevent them from excelling in a larger class. All of my students can work and learn in a group of 8, and according to the FAPE Act and LRE, they should be in an 8:1:1 class. However, because of the Quality Review, and the opinions of supposed "experts" who do not seem to know quite as much as they think they do, my guys are deemed "not high enough" for such a class. It kills me to see children being held down by bureaucrats who are so far removed from a classroom, assuming they've ever even worked in one to begin with. Chidren with Autism need classes designed to teach social skills, just as importantly, if not more important than academics, so to stick these children in smaller classes, sometimes in classes where socially, these students do not match at all, hurts them just as much if not more than if they put a 4th grader in a kindergarten class.

Intro

          It seems like nowadays, everyone has a blog. I have to be honest, at first I didn't really see the point in so many people having one. I mean, how many people really care what so many people think on the most random topics? Usually the people who actually do care what you have to say are the people you most likely speak with on a daily basis. Then I read some blogs from people that inspired. I do not know these people personally, but they spoke about things that I am passionate about, and proided insight in these topics that I did not have. Lately, I've had so many different things on my mind, that I feel like I need to get out and share with the world, so I broke down and decided to start a blog myself. I'm not sure if people are actually ever going to take the time to read what I have to say, but I'm not really concerned with attracting so many readers as I am with getting my thoughts out there and possibly helping people if I can. I am going to be upfront with you from the start, what I am most passionate about is working with children with special needs, particularly children with Autism. I am a teacher in a school for children with Autism and I absolutely love my job. I cannot imagine doing anything else with my life. I can hardly even see myself working in a different school. I truly believe that my school does a tremendous job not only catering to the needs of our students, but also providing parents with resources they need as well. My AP treats the students like they are her grandchildren and her staff like her children. She puts so much of her own money into programs that she thinks will benefit our students. If you come to her with an idea and are enthusiastic about it, not only will she match your enthusiasm, she will also do what she can to help it come to fruition. How many people can say their AP will pay for expensive programs such as "Your Baby Can Read" and TV Teacher out of pocket? I am truly blessed to be a part of such an incredible school and to be able to do what I love for a living? Most of my posts will relate to Autism, providing my own insight into behaviors, sensory issues and my favorite, the little victories, that working with such a population teaches you to grasp onto and celebrate.